Towards a Praxeological Media Philosophy of the Digital Image

Theorizing Pictorial Picture Critique in Social Media

Abstract

This article explores the theory and methodology of the project “Pictorial Picture Critique in Social Media. Explicit and Tacit Theorizing of the Digital Image.” In order to gain elements of a theory of the digital image from the inside perspective of digital images themselves, the aim of the project is to analyze user-generated forms of pictures that criticize other pictures on social media. This inside view is theorized through media philosophy, which is a philosophy of media by media. Assuming that media have knowledge about media, this diffuse knowledge needs to be clarified. Therefore, a praxeological approach is chosen to conceptualize this media knowledge. Both approaches are combined into a praxeological media philosophy of social media imagery from a socio-cultural perspective. Methodically, the picture practice analysis is designed to ascertain such media knowledge from the collected phenomena, which operate in the case of pictorial picture critique on two levels: knowing that aspects of a picture are criticized, and knowing how the picture is used for criticism. Finally, this approach is exemplified by a case study on Insta Repeat, which criticizes the practice of curating in social media.